In an exclusive Q&A session with Legalwise Seminars, Bradley So, Senior Associate at Queen City Law NZ Limited, addresses key questions on the new Accredited Employer framework. He will be covering this topic in depth at the upcoming Immigration Law Summit in Auckland on Friday 25 March, 2022.
Are there any issues arising under the new Accredited Employer policy that you think may be of particular significance?
- The new Accredited Employer policy needs to clarify the following:
- The obligation of 10% above the minimum wage when advertising for the position will create issues with existing employees who are paid minimum wage for the same role.
- What will be the requirement for commitment to training?
- The definition of “Franchisee” and “Controlling Third Party” (e.g. labour hire) which will have additional requirements to become accredited.
What’s one tip you can recommend in terms of best practices or processes to have in place to avoid PPI’s?
- Understand the policy and the issues of your client before submitting an application. You have to be strategic;
- Establish a system and process to ensure a low touch application is submitted.
Are there any trends or developments that might be coming up in the immigration industry that you think practitioners should keep on their radar?
- Labour hire companies and Franchisees who may want to avoid falling in the definition of “Controlling Third Party” as the requirements is more onerous to be accredited.
Bradley So is a Senior Associate at Queen City Law and he manages the immigration team. He specialises in business migration and foreign investments. He has represented significant employers and ultra-high net worth individuals. His clients have invested in excess of $500 million in New Zealand and he has assisted multinationals with their immigration requirements. Connect with Bradley via LinkedIn 
